Do you find it impossibly hard to keep things for yourself?

Posted by ThirteenLeafClover on June 17, 2008 at 12:35pm in Selling Vintage on Etsy

I think I'd be a great advertisement for my store if I wore more vintage... but every time I find something that's cute and fits me well, I can't resist putting it in my shop. I feel like I need to shop for my own personal vintage in other people's shops because I can't seem to keep the things I find. Anyone else have this problem?

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Permalink Reply by artsfarm on June 17, 2008 at 12:40pm: LOL! Been there, done that, still doing it.
You do get to a point where you look at EVERYTHING from the perspective of "can I sell this and what can I get for it?", and it can make you crazy at times (well, me at least). It's hard sometimes to keep things separated in your mind but that's one sign of a true businessperson :-)

The only items I don't do that with are things that belonged to my grandmother or something that was a gift. Everything else that I got for myself is fair game at one point or another :-); ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by RainbowVintage on June 17, 2008 at 3:15pm: Wow, usually I hear people say the opposite! Although they do usually sell it after a while.

I am a large size, so I feel compelled to keep almost every piece that fits me! I did recently deaccession some dresses I have outgrown, though, because larger stuff sells for more. I priced them up a little, too - I don't want to part with them unless I get top dollar, because they were mine.

I also find myself keeping things that are very unusual. Just a few pieces a year, but items I think I won't see again.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by artsfarm on June 17, 2008 at 3:37pm: He heh..Rainbow, I wanted to keep everything when I was younger and first started out, but after a while, once you see how much great stuff is out there, you kind of have to or else keep moving into bigger and bigger homes :-)
Kind of George Carlin's "Stuff" monologue LOL

The very first vintage thing I ever bought was when I was 12; it was a set of dishes that was made in 1957, when I was born. It wasn't too terribly old at the time, but I fell in love with it and the seller (it was a church sale) was so nice she gave the entire set, serving pieces and all, to me for $3!
She had no idea what she started LOL.

I still have most of that set (the pieces that survived my 2 boys) and wouldn't sell them ever.

The first piece of old furniture I bought was a Spinet desk I got for $15 when I was about 17 and I kept that for many years. I'd still have that too, but my mother (overbearing old-world Italian) got rid of it in one of her tantrums when I moved in with my boyfriend when I was in my early 30s. (Yes, those stories you hear about older Italians being 'emotional' are true he heh); ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by ThirteenLeafClover on June 17, 2008 at 5:05pm: This was my first piece that I was really excited about finding, and one that I will probably always hold onto, though I would not say it blends in with my current design aesthetic.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Valerie Mungia on June 17, 2008 at 8:38pm: I sure don't. I'm one of those who still has the opposite problem!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by emmeline on June 18, 2008 at 5:01pm: i am definitely the opposite. i want to keep everything. but my (small) house (okay, i mean condo) is overrunnnnn.

but ... shopping for vintage in other peoples shops, and listing the things you find in your own, is really a great way to keep etsy vintage thriving. the etsy vintage ball rolling. ya know.

and every time you buy something from someone else, i'll bet they take a quick peek at your items :); ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Zwzzy Vintage on July 11, 2008 at 3:03am: Haha I do have that problem. I always use my pictures as the final call. If I really end up liking something and it looks good on me in the photos, then I'll keep it for awhile. But if I end up not liking the way it looks from that perspective, then I'll part with it.... which is sooo hard to do!! I've actually ended up only keeping 3 things so far. I have good discipline. hee hee.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Simone on July 15, 2008 at 4:49pm: Oh yes. Its a constant battle. haha; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by artsfarm on July 15, 2008 at 4:58pm: I just did this today with a book, books being my weakness :-)
I took the photos, edited them, started the listing and halfway through the description, said "wow, I need to keep this one". And that was that.
It's scary sometimes LOL; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Spelfenmeisje on July 22, 2008 at 8:05am: I always just want to keep it all :/; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Heather Lewis on August 10, 2008 at 4:37pm: I often keep things for myself, wear them a couple times and then list them for sale. Sometimes I'll buy something, get it home and noticed that I missed some sort of issue the item has. I'll keep those items too or I will list them and note all issues.

There's nothing wrong with keeping things for yourself for awhile and then selling them. At least you get to enjoy them for a bit that way!! :); ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by foofoogal on August 12, 2008 at 11:05am: I am petite so I usually sell what does not fit me. I have been known to buy some vintage just because it is like artwork and amazing though.
I wear quite a bit of vintage and am doing more so since it is just flat better made I have found.
I am a cardigan vintage sweaterholic and I wear Swirl dresses.
It is great now since the Swing dresses and other vintage is quite in style now. I mix old and new items together. I get alot of compliments on my stuff. I am fixing to add sweater guards to my collectibles.
I have sold alot of vintage and much more to sell. It is a quality product and fabulous to have lasted over the years. foofoogal.; ▶ Reply to This